Battle of Milibands as brothers hit town

It was a case of sibling rivalry as Labour leadership contenders David and Ed Miliband brought the battle for top job to Greater Manchester. While David was due to speak at a rally at the People’s History Museum in the city centre, Ed was paying a visit to Walkden.

It was a case of sibling rivalry as Labour leadership contenders David and Ed Miliband brought the battle for top job to Greater Manchester.

While David was due to speak at a rally at the People’s History Museum in the city centre, Ed was paying a visit to Walkden.

Ahead of his appearance at the museum, leadership favourite David said that Labour needs to ‘learn from the success of Manchester’. But the former foreign secretary warned that government cuts could threaten the ‘transformation’ of the city over the past 15 years.

David Miliband said: "I will be telling party members we need to learn from the success of places like Manchester where we’ve got the politics and the policies and the community campaigning right."

He said he recognised communities being hit by Tory-Lib Dem spending cuts could feel disaffected with politics.

And he admitted that policies he would like to see changed are the legacy of the former Labour government as well as the current coalition.

He said: "I’m proud of changes we’ve made but not satisfied. We have further to go in taxing and equality, further to go in raising aspirations and further to go in rebuilding communities.

"I think communities hit by the cuts will be feeling the north-south divide is being brought back and the transformation of Manchester over the last 15 years is under threat."

He dodged comparisons between himself and Tony Blair, which have resurfaced with the publication of Mr Blair’s memoir this week.

David Miliband said both Blair, in his final two years, and Brown had failed to reinvigorate the party. He said: "The Blair and Brown era is over. Tony is explaining the past and I’m charting the future and we need a different kind of politics."

In Walkden, Ed Miliband spoke about the party’s need to unite under their new leader.

He also denied a deal had been done with his brother if one of them should win the vote.

He said: "There is no deal. I think it’s important to give people the chance to vote for who they want as leader. It should have happened in 1994."

Leigh MP Andy Burnham, Ed Balls and Diane Abbott are also contenders in the leadership race, the result of which will be announced later this month.